More Notes from the Field

The Devon-based duo have been together – in the gaps between their burgeoning solo careers – since 2014, with an EP, live album and one studio album (This Old River) under their belts. The latter was supported by a live tour, punctuated by wild swimming, and the ancient musical tradition of post-gig drinks replaced by the clean-living mores of those ubiquitous companions of 21st century culture – well-being and mental health.

More Notes from the Field was written remotely between the pair’s respective homes in Poland and Stroud during lockdown, the duo’s core sound of finger-picked guitar, upright bass and rich vocal harmonies augmented by drums, synth, piano and electric guitar, with guest singer Emily Barker chiming in on ‘To Call You Friend’, and adding harmonica to ‘Nowhere on Sea’. They’re songs built around the themes of friendship and connection – vital threads through the 18 months of pandemic conditions during which most of them were written – and the instrumental settings are beguiling, lyrical and perfectly attuned to the duo’s lead and harmony vocals. The album’s lead single, ‘The Nameless’ – actually written a decade ago – is among its most compelling performances, while the likes of ‘To Call You Friend’ have a benevolent, mellow pop feel, its uplifting message given wings by those fervent harmony vocals.